Granvia opinions

[Willdat?]

Looking at a 1995 Granvia, 1KZ-TE 185kms, looks tidy enough, any issues I should be looking for? I know nothing about diesels either, so any advice much appreciated!

[Willdat?]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-ca ... 342827.htm

[Zestripper]

I've had 2 of these as work wagons over about 5 years and I gave both of them a pretty hard life with all the weight we had in them, towing and general day to day van racing. One was 4wd and the other 2wd, both the 3l turbo diesel. Only real issues we ever had was uneven tire wear and suspension bushes constantly flogging out, but that was more likely due to the weight we were hauling around than anything else. I'd usually get around 400k's to a tank of fuel, but the vans were pushing 3t. fully loaded and I've not got the lightest right foot. Heaps of grunt though and real comfortable to drive compared to a more commercial type van. Quiet, smooth and the drivers seat wouldn't look out of place in someones lounge. Only thing I hear about with the 1KZ is to make sure it doesn't get hot. Neither of mine ever did, even with the lax service intervals and heavy usage. Both were up around 300,000k's when we had finished with them. Did used to go through a set of brake pads about every 3 months but that's also more likely to be due to weight and driving style.

[BlakeNZ]

very good wagons. Just keep the motor well serviced. Given the age, i would get the radiator flushed/cleaned for peace of mind ,toyota coolant, and replace the thermostat. Do oil changes(and filter) at 5000km. Then enjoy the torque and the build quality. the Regius is the same wagon , but 70mm narrower. There are a few Granvias around, so pick a good one.
The reason i have suggested the maintenance above, is simply that diesels are expensive to fix if they need repairs, so preventative maintenance is well worth it.

[Willdat?]

Thanks for that, I had wondered what the difference is between the Regius and Granvia was! We had been loo king at Super Customs but they seem to suffer from a scene tax of sorts...

[Bling]

Scene tax? Pretty popular work vans those customs which I imagine has more to do with their worth.

[Willdat?]

Have a look on TM, almost all are lowered to the point they're not going to be very useful as work vans...

[Zestripper]

Funnily enough I've gone from a Granvia to a Hiace Custom, would have stayed Granvia but I wanted the extra room for gear. Same 1kz engine and live rear axle compared to the Granvia's IRS but I was a bit disappointed at the low tow rating of the Customs which is about the same as a Granvia anyway. Otherwise been happy as with the Hiace although as mentioned I did have to buy older and higher k's compared to a similarly priced Granvia

[DVSMOTORSPORT]

The only concern I would have would be buying parts like headlights etc, any parts that are different to the regular hiace, not being as many around could mean harder to find and probably dearer too.

Otherwise just make sure its serviced properly as mentioned above.